A. What is the cartoonist’s message? b. Who was to blame for the My Lai Massacre?
c. Explain your answer using details (symbolic meanings) of the source and your knowledge. (min. 100 words)

A cartoon published in an American newspaper in May 1971.

Question a (3 points)
Question b (3 points)
Symbolic meanings (4 points)

ADDITIONAL SOURCE

Thirty-eight years ago, on 16 March 1968, a company of US Army combat soldiers swept into the South Vietnamese hamlet of My Lai, rounded up the 500 unarmed residents, all women, children and old men, and executed them in cold blood, Nazi-style. No weapons were found in the village, and the whole operation only took four hours.

Although there was a massive cover-up of this operation, those who carried out this ‘business-asusual’ war zone event did not deny the details of the slaughter when the case came to trial several years later. But the story did eventually filter back to the Western news media, thanks to a couple of courageous witnesses and journalists whose consciences were still intact. An Army court-martial trial was eventually convened against some of the soldiers, including Lieutenant William Calley and Company C commanding officer, Ernest Medina.

According to many of the soldiers in Company C, Medina ordered the killing of ‘every living thing in My Lai’ including, obviously, innocent noncombatants – men, women, children and even farm animals. Calley was charged with the murder of 109 civilians. In his defence statement he stated that he had been taught to hate all Vietnamese, even children, who, he was told, ‘were very good at planting mines’.

The massacre was documented by many of Medina’s soldiers and recorded by photographers, but the Army still tried to cover it up. The cases were tried in military courts with juries of Army officers, which eventually either dropped the charges against all of the defendants (except Calley) or acquitted those accused. Medina and all the others who were among the soldiers killing that day went free, and only Calley was convicted of the murders of ‘at least 20 civilians’. He was sentenced to life imprisonment for his crime but, under pressure from patriotic pro-war Americans, President Nixon pardoned him within weeks of the verdict.

The trial stimulated a lot of interest because it occurred during the rising outcry of millions of Americans against the war. Many ethical Americans were sick of the killing. However, 79 per cent of those that were polled strenuously (hard/difficultly) objected to Calley’s conviction, veterans’ groups even voicing the opinion that instead of condemnation, he should have received medals of honour for killing ‘Commie Gooks’.

From a history book published in 2009.Immersive Reader
(10 Points)
HOW DID AMERICA REACT TO THE MY LAI MASSACRE?

Study the Background Information and the sources carefully, and then answer all the questions.

Background Information

On 16 March 1968 Charlie Company of the 23rd Infantry Division of the American army entered the
Vietnamese village of My Lai and rounded up and killed over sixty defenceless men, women and
children. Later that day they killed hundreds more of the villagers.
In 1971 Lieutenant Calley and 25 other soldiers from Charlie Company were put on trial. Calley was the
only one convicted. Captain Ernest Medina, Calley’s commanding officer, who some of the soldiers claimed
had given orders to kill the villagers, was acquitted. In May 1971 Calley was found guilty of murder
and was sentenced to life in prison with hard labour. However, two days later, President Nixon ordered
Calley’s release while his appeal was being heard. He eventually served just over three years under
house arrest.

By 1971 America was already divided over the war in Vietnam. What was the reaction of Americans to
this massacre?